INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health will offer the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine booster shot to Hoosiers ages 12 to 15.
The booster will able available to those children who received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least five months ago. The Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine approved for people younger than 18.
The FDA on Monday amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine to allow a single booster dose for people ages 12 to 15. The CDC endorsed the recommendation on Wednesday.
Booster doses have been shown to increase protection from hospitalization and death against the highly-infectious Omicron variant.
Studies from South Africa and the United Kingdom show that two doses of a Pfizer vaccine provide approximately 35% protection against the Omicron variant but a booster dose increases that protection against infection to 75%.
Hoosiers can go to ourshot.in.gov to schedule a vaccine appointment or look for vaccination sites. Appointments are recommended, but many sites also accept walk-ins.
